CNJ staff The agent for Clovis native Hank Baskett said times are uncertain, but the wide receiver is ready to go. Baskett, an unrestricted free agent, has 77 catches for 1,098 yards and six touchdowns in five seasons with Philadelphia, Indianapolis and, most recently, Minnesota. The NFL lockout compressed the free agent period, leading to […]

File photo Jessie Poku scores against Central Oklahoma. He led the Greyhounds this season with 86 catches for 932 yards and 11 TDs. Freedom New Mexico PORTALES — Jessie Poku finished his career at Eastern New Mexico University holding nearly every pass receiving record. Now he’s looking to catch on with an NFL team as […]

Courtesy photo Gutierrez, right, and her mom, Jeri Robinson. Portales resident Melanie Gutierrez has been the 4-H agent in Roosevelt County for three and a half years and deals with anything related to 4-H. That means she spends a lot of time with children and youth and Gutierrez said she enjoys watching the students grow […]

Liliana Castillo: Freedom New Mexico Erinn Burch of Clovis is a mother of two and runs United Way of Eastern New Mexico. Erinn Burch of Clovis has run the United Way of Eastern New Mexico for eight years. She said she enjoys her work because everyone she works with is working to improve the community.

An estimated 200,000 Vietnam veterans suffering from three diseases newly associated with exposure to Agent Orange are closer to receiving disability compensation following an appeals court order Aug. 2 directing VA to publish a final implementing regulation within 30 days. On a lawsuit brought by a coalition of veterans’ service organizations, the U.S. Court of […]

By Tom Philpott: Military Update The Department of Veterans Affairs likely will begin in October to pay thousands of disability claims to Vietnam veterans with ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemia — illnesses newly associated with exposure to defoliants, including Agent Orange, used in that war. A 60-day countdown to the day that […]

By Special Agent Michael Youngs: AFOSI Det 120 The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is seeking highly motivated and qualified non-commissioned officers, officers and civilians to become special agents. If you meet the minimum requirements and would like to discuss being an AFOSI special agent contact Special Agent Mike Youngs at 784-2511 or 784-1472. […]

By Tom Philpott Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), chief architect of the pricey post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war era, could become a new champion, for taxpayers, against what he perceives as excess spending on military pay and on a new wave of Agent Orange claims. Webb, a former […]

American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs officials announced March 9 an aggressive new initiative to solicit private-sector input on a proposed fast-track Veterans’ claims process for service-connected presumptive illnesses due to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. “This will be a new way of doing business and a major step forward in […]

Veterans Affairs WASHINGTON — Relying on an independent study by the Institute of Medicine, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam veterans with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an association with the herbicides referred to as Agent Orange. The illnesses affected by the recent […]

Winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE follows rock-n-roll heartthrob, Conrad Birdie, as he is about be inducted in the army and the hilarious publicity stunt concocted by his agent where Birdie will give one lucky girl a farewell kiss on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”

CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Dennis Chavez Park, located next to 14th Street, is flooded Monday as a result of the weekend’s rains. By Gabriel Monte and Thomas Garcia: Freedom New Mexico Farmers in the process of harvesting their crops in the eastern New Mexico and West Texas region are playing the waiting game with […]

By Karl Terry: Freedom New Mexico Just days before the 2008 Roosevelt County Fair opens, fair lovers have learned of the death of one of its biggest supporters. Floyd McAlister, who was Roosevelt County Extension agent for more than 22 years, died late Wednesday in Lubbock. He was 64. People are remembering him as the […]

CNJ staff photo: Lili Castillo Jonathan Justus, 15, displays what he calls his ‘Smart’ face. Justus will be playing Maxwell Smart in the Clovis Area Home Educator’s production of “Get Smart.” Jonathan Justus, 15, of Clovis is portraying bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the Clovis Area Home Educator’s production of “Get Smart.” Being Smart: […]

Glenda Price Glenda Price My husband and I were 4-H organizational leaders for quite a few years. That meant we were the ones who begged, cajoled or bribed other parents, friends and neighbors into sharing their expertise with the kids as project leaders. Soon after we began this journey a wise county agent said, “Remember, […]

By Sharna Johnson: Freedom New Mexico CANNON AIR FORCE BASE — Defense attorneys for Airman Basic Edward Novak II began working Friday to undermine the integrity of an Air Force investigation. The defense highlighted what they thought were weaknesses in the case during the cross-examination of two prosecution witnesses during the second day of testimony […]

By Sharna Johnson: CNJ staff writer CANNON AIR FORCE BASE — Defense attorneys for Airman Basic Edward Novak II began working Friday to undermine the integrity of an Air Force investigation. The defense highlighted what they thought were weaknesses in the case during the cross-examination of two prosecution witnesses during the second day of testimony […]

Llano Estacado Cotton Conference Set For Jan. 24 The Llano Estacado Cotton Conference is set for Jan. 24 in the Bailey County Coliseum at 2006 West American Blvd., Muleshoe, TX. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the program at 8:30 a.m. The conference is sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension in Bailey, Parmer, Lamb […]

With the arrival and installation of 14 mail boxes, the Clovis post office announced an early-morning mail collection would be made every day, including Sundays and holidays. … County Agent E.C. Hollinger was driving a new Chevrolet car. … White Swan Pork and Beans claimed to be “Better than the law requires” in a Clovis […]

Steps to halt an attempt by the state to take over plumbing inspections in Clovis were taken at a special meeting of the city commissioners. … Mrs. Dorothy Thomas, county clerk, received an autographed picture of President Kennedy. The inscription read “To my fellow sustaining member of the Democratic Party.” … State Farm Servicing Agent […]